With the MD850 Vibes, Mayer-EMI has packed all the synthesis power and sequencer features of the MD900 into a much more compact housing. Like its big brother, the Vibes is a desktop synthesizer with extended virtual-analogue sound generation. With its high-quality aluminum housing and beautiful walnut wood front and back, the Vibes makes an elegant and timeless impression. The 24 voices of the polyphonic instrument are divided into four similar parts that can be played multitimbrally. Instead of the five mini displays and the numerous faders and knobs of the MD900, the MD850 uses direct selection buttons for various functions and macro knobs and focuses even more on the 5" touchscreen. The stereo audio input enables the processing of external audio signals with the two multimode filters and the versatile effects processor. Thanks to three USB host ports, a USB master keyboard, external synthesizers or a pad controller for operating the Clip Launcher can be connected via USB, leaving the MIDI ports free for other tasks. The Vibe's extensive sequencer also supports external instruments. In terms of flexibility, sound creation possibilities and sequencer features, this desktop synthesizer can certainly speak for itself.
The powerful sound generation
At the heart of the Vibe are its two oscillators, for each tone generator you can choose separately whether to use the wavetable, algorithm or resonator model. The Wavetable oscillator is equipped with 256 single-cycle waveforms that are SERUM-compatible and can be extensively morphed as usual. Even special modes such as Spectral Morphing and Harmonic Shift have been included. The Algorithm Oscillator is ideal for classic synthesizer sounds, as it offers traditional waveforms with pulse width, hardsync, formant shift and even phase distortion in various combinations. The resonator model is based on physical modeling and is capable of generating complex string and plucking sounds similar to a guitar or violin. This oscillator model uses 64 bands, which are excited with attack/decay envelopes. The fourth sound-forming element is the sample-based noise oscillator, which provides different filtering and noise source variants. The mixer section not only brings together the sound-generating elements, it is also where the cross-modulation between the two oscillators takes place and the signal routing that feeds the oscillators into the two multimode filters and determines the mix of the filters. Each of the filters has different filter models that have a slope of 12dB or 24dB and cover lowpass, bandpass, Highpass and notch in different variations. The filter is followed by the VCA, which has no controls of its own on the surface of the housing. The final link in the consistently stereo signal path is the effects processor, which has a selection of delay, Reverb flanger, chorus, EQ, compressor and distortion effects.
Modulation & Controller
What would such oscillator and filter equipment be without modulation! Four ADSR envelopes, threesynchronizable LFOs with numerous waveforms and various trigger modes as well as common controllers such as aftertouch, modulation wheel, Velocity and others ensure plenty of movement in the sound. In addition to some fixed modulation connections, almost every parameter including mixers and effects can be modulated in the Vibes via the modulation matrix, which comprises 24 slots.
Groovebox qualities
The Vibe's sequencer extends far into the possibilities of a modern Groovebox. The sequencer has a total of seven tracks; four of these are reserved for the polyphonic synthesizer parts, two output notes via USB and MIDI to play external instruments and the seventh part is reserved for the sample player. The latter is capable of 14 different drum sounds and is loaded with samples via SD card. Instead of drum samples, you can of course also add dub chords, sirens and Vocal shouts. In terms of operation, the whole thing is topped by the improved clip launcher, which works in concept like AbletonLive in the clip view and is a pleasure to combine and rearrange the patterns. Of course, we don't want to hide the fact that each of the four synth parts has an extensively editable arpeggiator.
Features:
Manufacturer:
Mayer EMI
Construction / Number of Keys:
Desktop without keyboard
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